Developing Emotional Competence in Teacher Education Students: The Emotional Intelligence Agenda

T he generalist notion of the competencies of the Griffith graduate, which involves personal as well as academic skills, provides a framework within which to consider (a) the nature of emotional competencies in teacher education students, (b) changes in the developing profile of personal competencies over a 4-year program of study, and (c) strengths and weaknesses that may affect professional and personal effectiveness of the graduating teacher. It is argued that emotional intelligence needs to be considered together with cognitive intelligence in how teacher training is conceptualised. In the present study, the first phase of research design is outlined. Competencies of university graduates Tertiary education has become an important gatekey to employment in western societies. Intellectual ability, academic achievement, and tertiary qualifications are known predictors of life success. However, conceptualisation of ability as intellectual ability to learn (measured by intelligence tests, or IQ) does not capture the complexity of human behaviour (Kline, 1998, 2000). The complexity of behaviour is such that a viable psychometric explanation of individual differences in academic success needs to involve a triad of IQ, personality traits, and mood states and motivational dynamic factors. Moreover, these intraindividual constructs interact with sociocultural environmenta